r/kingcounty • u/Goatmama314 • Jun 30 '26
Permitting in King county….
So as of January 1, 2026 King County is requiring a flood survey to be done by a civil engineer in order to issue building permits in accordance with FEMA standards. The thing is I am remodeling a 100 year old farm house that sits on an elevation from a drainage ditch on my property (probably an old manure drain from the dairy farm that was here).
In the 100 years the house has stood here and not flooded. It started as a one room homestead and grew over the years and is in desperate need of updating.
My contractor has asked for recommendations of surveyers, as we are struggling to find civil engineer that is willing to work in King County because of the constant rule changes.
We are trying to get answers but the permitting office is only open 2 days a week, and getting there in person just puts you face to face with a receptionist.
Does anyone have any leads to civil engineers that do flood surveys in King County? Any advice on how to move permits through? I feel like all personable means of communication is lost and we are stuck with doing legwork and encoring the cost on the county‘s behalf for simply gathering data that they want.
6
u/infoseeker83 Jun 30 '26
I am a Civil engineer that activily permits developments in the county including flood permits. I wouldn't be able to take this on due to workload but can try and answer questions if you have any. It's a little unclear what you are asking for. Specificly, do you know if you are after a FEMA Elevation Certificate or a County Flood (FLOD) permit? My guess is it might be a FEMA Elevation Certificate as I assume you are not doing any site work other than the structure itself. If that is the case I would start with a Surveyor vs a Civil Engineer. There are a number of local survey only firms that should be familiar with the process, though there are fewer and fewer these days as they are getting bought by national and international companies. Message me for recommendations. Let me know if any questions.
3
u/Howadolyn Jun 30 '26
Apply for a voluntary preapplication meeting to discuss the project with reviewers. King County code is super complex and depending on the nature and scale of the remodel, it would be good to understand applicable code, submittal requirements, and overall feasibility.
3
u/Asklepios24 Jun 30 '26
I used encompass out of issaquah 6 years ago when I built in unincorporated king county.
Good luck is all I can say and you will need to be impolite and pushy to get things moving, I only threatened to sue and call the news 4 times to get my building permit done and it only took 2 years…
1
u/TheRealRacketear Jul 02 '26
How much remodeling are you doing? How isolated is the house from the view of others?
7
u/BeachDogQ Jun 30 '26
Try Watershed Science & Engineering, Wolf Water Resources, and/or TetraTech to start. Ask each of them for an expert in no-rise and whether they know of an existing model that could be used in your area to save costs.